Hello!,
I've been building models for many years, My building has been basic, but i working on that. I hope the quality of the build is improving. However my painting is still not very good at all.

I would appreciate some feedback on the painting of my latest two models (both are works in progress). Especially on the weathering and finishing of the painting and tone of colours used.

Constructive comments welcomed - however harsh!!

First Tank.

Tamyia 1/35th King Tiger. Aber Detail set, modelkasten tracks, archer dry transfer.
Painted with Tamiya areosols, halford car primer and masking tape. Weathered with oil paints and mig powders. - please ignore the figure!







Second Tank.

Tamyia Tiger Tank (late) My first attempt with an airbrush. Zimmerit made using humberol filler and a screwdriver. (Going to try different technique for the hull) Aber Detailing set and barrel, modelkasten tracks and idler wheel. No weathering done yet.







Thank you for any advice.


Sorry bout the pic mixup - I hope they've worked now. - 3rd time lucky

No joy goose, all I see are red x's, no pics.

Mike

edit: OK, now I can see one pic of the Tiger I. What I can see looks nicely done.

Success - Sorry about the mix up.

I've ordered the tamyia zimmerit tool and their putty, I'm going to try this on the hull.

I've used Tamiya acrilics throughout. I unsure on thinner/paint mix required for airbrush.

I'm going to stick my neck out here & say that while the application of the paint looks Ok to me, I might have some issues with the colours on the Tiger II. I think the green overspray was heavier in real life, working from photos. I'm struggling with this, because I don't want to discourage you, but there also seems to be something wrong with the sand colour on this vehicle, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Too bright perhaps? I don't think it's quite brown enough somehow. Perhaps someone else can contribute. The E looks somehow far more satisfactory to me, & the Zim looks good from the photo. Sorry if I've been a bit negative, feel free to go to my gallery & tear my stuff apart!

Hey goose,

i would recommend you use some filters to tone and blend the camo on the T2. That will help to blend it all together and make the camo look less "harsh." The other observation i would make on the T2 is that the red brown looks wrong......could be because you have not lightened it to give some contrasts, or it could be the lighting when you took the picture. Just to give you an idea of how the camo can look when you ise filters and lightened colours here is a pic of my July 45 T2



It is not perfect ,and still needs some washes adding, but i think it should give you an idea about what i mean.

On teh T1 the camo on the turret looks much better than the T2, did you use a different method on that one? The only thing that looks out of place to me is the blackening around the end of the gun barrel. From the pics i have that is not something that happend. i think the German used a low powder charge in their ammo so there would not be that amount of blackening at the end of the barrel. I especially like the way you have done the tracks on the T1, they should look most excellent when painted.

Hope this helps?

Regards from the Swamp

Hawkeye

Thank you both for your feedback.

On the T2 I used Tamyia Deck Tan (the one in the aerosol can). I can see what you mean about it been to light - and I won't use that shade again!

The brown is halford car primer - I based it on the colour in an osprey book. In comparison to the pic of your t2 the primer colour i've used doesn't work at all.

what paints have you used on your T2? +
What make of kit is it? (it looks like a very late version of the T2)

Since painting the T2 turret ive bit the bullet and bought my first airbrush its an aztech - which I the T1 is my first attempt to use.

I'll respray the barrel end to remove the blacking - would the barrel discolour durring use as ive seen mentioned in some model mag's?

I not very confident (and I don't really understand) the use of filters - any tips?

Hohenstaufen - i've checked out your gallery and you've got and impressive collection of halftracks. I've got a tamyia sdkfz 251/9 to build - and will check your gallery out for ref.

Here are my thoughts
The application looks ok to me at this point. The dots on the KT look to be to big for my taste.
The E is ok - I would shorten the black on the muzzle break, it wouldn't streatch that far back. I wouldn't totally remove it though.

To me there needs to be a couple more steps in the painting. I agree a filter would be nice or an overspray to even everything out and tone it down. Then some spot washes and pastels.

Filters are really just all over washes.Spot washes are washes applied to get into the nooks and crannies to show detail pastels are colored dust to add weathering.

Filters - Best material in my opinion - oil paint and terpentine (thinner). You make a thin mix of these in a dark color (black, burnt umber, mix of the two). Mix it thin and don't be afraid to mix it too thin. Its easier to add more color than to take it away. I would go for the consistancy or hot tea sitting for just a few minutes (thin). Then with a large soft brush apply the filter all over the model. Let it dry. The tint acts as a 'filter' showing a toned down paint job underneth. You may repeat as necessary or try a second shade of filter.

Washes are the same mix as a filter, maybe a little thicker because you are controling the application a bit closer. Use a thin small pointy brush and apply this wash in the creases, shadow areas, nooks and crannies. Let dry and repeat until you see what you like. This makes the detail really pop up.

Pastels are artists calk, you want the chalk kind not the oil kind. Use a knife and scrape the desire color into a mixing bowl/area. You can use multiple colors and mix them before application or different layers of single colors. After you have a nice pile you dib a soft brush in and lightly apply the pastel to the tank. Be careful from this point on because handling the pastels that are on the tank will brush them off. You can add more as you need or use a clean brush and blend them in or brush them totally off if you don't like it.
Word of warning using pastels makes it very difficult to handle these models so do this last. Also you want to have all your dullcoats and oversprays done before this step also to let the pastels dusty nature do thier thing.

Hope this helps.

Here are a couple of articles that should help you to better understand what filters and washes are, how to use them etc etc. The best piece of advice i can offer is to experiment........when i was at the stage you are at, i read as much as i could and then applied what i had learnt and adapted it to suit my own tastes. I would say that is the best approach

http://www.missing-lynx.com/articles/german/jbpaint/jbpaint.htm

http://www.missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw02.htm

http://www.missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw04.htm

http://www.missing-lynx.com/rare_world/rw05.htm

to answer your questions about my T2. It is modlled on the proposed July '45 production changes that would have been introduced if the war had carried on.

The chassis and wheels are from the Tamiya BOB T2, the rest of the kit is a conversion supplied by CMD. It is a resin conversion and is of the highest quality. If you have never used resin before or built a conversion, this is possible one of the easiest ones to do. All the resin parts fit very well with minimal clean up. The only slight problem area is the fit of the turret to it's base, but this is not that hard to over come and i only mention it to illustrate how minor any problems are.

Regards from the Swamp

Hawkeye